16Arlington Spring/Summer 2025 / SS25 at London Fashion Week 16Arlington entitled The Heat. After spending the past few seasons exploring the darker parts of human nature, for SS25 16Arlington’s Marco Capaldo is emerging from the shadows. As he puts it, “Suddenly I felt like I was facing the sun.”
The resulting collection is a return to joy, to irreverence, to lightness – both in mood as well as execution. Colours feel touched by the otherworldly haze of dusk or dawn – yellows, pale greens, burnt orange and flashes of red and hot pink. Silhouettes of 16Arlington Spring/Summer 2025 / SS25 have a sense of languid summer ease; dresses are draped as if they’ve been thrown on, shirts constructed so as to appear unbuttoned. Effortless sensuality is expressed in bra tops, hand-crocheted crystal dresses and mini skirts, and python panties with coats slung over the top – you don’t know if this woman is arriving at or leaving the party.
The showspace of 16Arlington Spring/Summer 2025, housed inside a gallery in London’s Royal Academy, is scented with Diptyque’s Mimosa, a synthesis of the yellow flowers that dot coasts and cliffsides, thriving in the sunlight of warm climates. It features three specially-commissioned towering floral sculptures by British artist Jesse Pollock, while 230kg of biodegradable confetti dusts the runway, stirring as models walk –Capaldo’s way of injecting a sense of the celebratory into the white cube space.
Throughout, there are small nods to 16Arlington’s past – like a crystal flower motif borrowed from an archive collection, and of course, feathers: now seen as sunburst embellishments, dip-dyed in pink and yellow. “I wanted a return to the fun, sexy spirit that 16Arlington has been known for,” Capaldo says, “and to refine it even further.”
Partners in both life and design, Marco Capaldo and the late Federica “Kikka” Cavenati founded 16Arlington in London in 2018. The House quickly earned a reputation within the fashion world through its unique interplay of minimalist design and joyful glamour. Born from a passionate exploration of the arts and acclaimed runway shows, 16Arlington’s influence has grown through red carpet appearances, high-profile media coverage, and endorsement by the world’s most notable luxury retailers. Today, in honor of Cavenati, Capaldo is leading 16Arlington into a new era of modern luxury. For more information, please visit 16arlington.co.uk
All images 16Arlington Spring/Summer 2025 / SS25 by 16Arlington. Credit to Creative Direction Marco Capaldo, Art Direction Emmanuel O’Brien at Bene Studio, Styling Julia Sarr-Jamois, Casting Rosie Vogel at Jolly Collective, Hair Sam McKnight at Premier Hair and Makeup, Make-up Lauren Parsons at Art Partner – using Max Factor, Nails: Sylvie MacMillan at Management Artists – using CND, Sculptures Jesse Pollock, Composer Minimum Summer, Music Direction Alex Putman at untitled (recs), Text Emma Hope Allwood, Production Studio Boum, Light Design Hydra Design, Communications/PR A.I. PR London, Shoes in collaboration with GINA, Skin prep Kate Somerville, Fragrance Diptyque.